UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA   PUBLICATIONS 
AMERICAN    ARCHAEOLOGY   AND    ETHNOLOGY 

Vol.  2  No.  1 


THE    EXPLORATION 

OF  THE 

POTTER    CREEK    CAVE 


BY 

WILLIAM  J.  SINCLAIR 


BERKELEY 

THE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS 

APRIL,  1904 

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ETH. 


VOL.    2,    PL,    I. 


Interior  of  the  main  chambei'  of  Potter  Creek  Cave.      Lookiiijj;  toward  tlie 

southeast  from  the  top  of  the  earth  slope  in  the  northwest  end. 

Drawn  from  pliotograhs. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PUBLICATIONS 

AMERICAN  ARCHAEOLOGY  AND  ETHNOLOGY 
VOL  2  NO.  1 


THE   EXPLORATION 

OF  THE 

POTTER  CREEK  CAVE 

BY 

WILLIAM  J.  SINCLAIE. 


CONTENTS. 

PAQE 

Introduction 1 

Description  of  the  cave 3 

Method  of  working 4 

Stratigraphy  of  the  northwest  fan 5 

Stratigraphy  of  the  southeast  fan 8 

Buried  galleries 8 

Pocket  deposits 9 

Deposits  at  the  entrance 10 

Origin  of  the  cave  deposit 10 

Character  and  mode  of  introduction  of  organic  remains 11 

Relics  of  possible  human  origin 12 

The  cave  fauna 16 

The  contemporary  fauna 19 

The  San  Pablo  Bay  Quaternary 19 

The  fauna  of  the  Silver  Lake  beds  of  Oregon 20 

Relation  of  the  cave  to  the  existing  topography 22 

Relation  of  the  cave  to  the  Quaternary  topography 23 

The  fauna  in  its  relations  to  topographic  changes  26 

Introduction. 

The  limestone  caves  of  California  have  onlj-  recently  received 
the  attention  due  them  as  localities  which  have  afforded  exceed- 
ingly favorable  opportunities  for  the  entombment  and  preserva- 
tion of  the  remains  of  man  and  of  the  Quaternary  fauna  of  this 
coast.  Some  of  the  most  reliable  evidence  regarding  the  existence 
of  man  during  the  Quaternary  has  been  derived  from  the  caves 
of  Europe.    North  American  caves  have  been  largely  overlooked, 

Am.  ARfH.  Eth.  2,  1. 


2  University  of  California  Publications,     [am.  arch.  eth. 

and  it  is  only  rarely  tliat  they  have  been  made  the  subject  of 
special  or  extended  investigation  by  the  anthropologist  and  the 
palaeontologist. 

The  work  of  cave  exploration  has  been  undertaken  by  the 
Department  of  Anthropology  of  the  University  of  California,  as 
a  part  of  the  investigation  being  carried  on  with  a  view  to 
determining  the  antiquity  of  man  on  this  coast.  It  has  received 
the  generous  support  of  Mrs.  Phoebe  A.  Hearst  and  has  been  con- 
ducted under  the  immediate  direction  of  Professor  J.  C.  Merriam. 

The  existence  of  bones  in  the  Potter  Creek  cave  was  first 
discovered  in  1878,  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Richardson,  who  found  there 
the  skull  of  a  large  extinct  bear  afterwards  described  by  Professor 
Cope  as  the  t}^e  of  a  new  species.*  Later,  Professor  Cope  in 
company  with  Mr.  Richardson  visited  the  cave,  but  Cope  did  not 
descend  into  the  chamber  where  Richardson's  discoveries  were 
made,  assuming  that  there  was  nothing  of  value  remaining. 

The  cave  was  rediscovered  by  Mr.  E.  L.  Furlong  of  the 
University  of  California  in  July,  1902.  Mr.  Furlong  excavated 
a  part  of  the  deposit  on  the  floor  of  the  main  chamber,  finding  a 
large  number  of  bones  pertaining  to  extinct  species.  On  Mr. 
Furlong's  return  to  Berkeley,  the  exploration  was  continued  by 
the  writer  and  was  completed  in  the  summer  of  1903. 

The  present  paper  is  a  report  on  the  exploration  of  the  first 
of  the  Californian  caves  in  which  excavation  has  been  syste- 
matically conducted.  It  has  been  thought  best  to  reserve  for 
separate  publication  the  descriptions  of  new  species  discovered, 
and  to  present  here  the  results  of  more  general  interest. 

The  writer  desii-es  to  express  his  obligation  to  Professor 
F.  W.  Putnam,  the  head  of  the  department,  for  the  privilege 
of  conducting  this  investigation  and  to  Professor  J.  C. 
Merriam  w^ho  has  planned  and  supervised  the  work  and 
has  furnished  the  list  of  cave  carnivora.  Dr.  C.  Hart 
Merriam  has  generously  given  of  his  time  in  the  determination 
of  many  of  the  mammals.  The  fish  remains  have  been  studied 
by  President  David  Starr  Jordan.  Professor  C.  A.  Kofoid  has 
undertaken  the  study  of  the  blind  spiders  collected  in  the  cave. 
Mr.  E.  L.  Furlong  has  furnished  valuable  information  regarding^ 

*  Arctotherium  simum,  Am.  Nat.  XIII.,  p.  791;  XXV.,  pp.  997-999,Pl.  XXI. 


Vol.  2.1  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  3 

the  stratigraphy  of  that  portion  of  the  bone- bearing  deposit 
which  he  excavated.  To  Mr.  J.  S.  Diller  the  writer  is  indebted 
for  information  which  has  been  of  great  value  in  studying  the 
topographic  development  of  the  region  in  its  relation  to  the  cave. 
The  results  of  the  exploration  were  secured  by  leases  kindly 
given  to  the  University  by  the  controllers  of  the  property,  Dr. 
W.  C.  Bruson  and  Mr.  D.  P.  Doak. 

Description  of  the  Cave. 

The  Potter  Creek  cave  is  situated  in  Section  23,  Township  34 
N(5rth,  Range  4  West,  Mount  Diablo  Meridian.  It  derives  its 
name  from  its  location  in  the  high  bluff  on  the  north  side  of 
Potter  Creek.  The  cave  is  about  one  mile  southeast  of  the 
United  States  fishery  station  at  Baird,  on  the  McCloud  River 
(PI.  2).  It  lies  in  a  belt  of  Carboniferous  limestone  (MeCloud 
limestone)  at  an  elevation  of  1500  feet  above  sea  level,  and 
about  800  feet  above  the  level  of  the  McCloud,  at  the  mouth  of 
Potter  Creek  (Pis.  8  and  9). 

The  system  of  galleries  forming  the  cave  trends  in  a  north- 
west-southeast direction  approximately  parallel  with  the  strike 
of  the  McCloud  limestone.  The  arched  entrance  (PL  3)  com- 
municates with  a  smaller  chamber  through  which  admittance  is 
gained  to  a  narrow  passageway.  Beyond  this  point  the  explorer 
must  depend  for  light  on  lamp  or  candle.  Following  this  passage 
to  the  left,  it  is  found  to  terminate  abruptly  on  the  margin  of 
a  great  pit.  Here  a  convenient  stalagmite  pillar  offers  a  secure 
point  of  attachment  for  a  rope  ladder.  A  vertical  descent  of 
forty-two  feet  affords  entrance  to  a  room  one  hundred  and  seven 
feet  long,  about  thirty  feet  wide  at  its  widest  part,  with  the  roof 
rising  about  seventy-five  feet  above  the  lowest  point  of  the  floor 
(PL  1).  Both  walls  of  the  chamber  slope  toward  the  west. 
The  west  wall  overhangs,  and  is  fringed  with  numerous  massive 
pendants,  some  of  which  are  shown  in  Plate  4. 

Forming  the  floor  of  this  great  room  were  two  fan-like 
deposits  of  earth  and  stalagmite-cemented  breccia,  sloping  from 
opposite  ends  of  the  chamber  and  coalescing  at  their  borders. 
(Pis.  1,  5,  6,  12,  14).  Above  the  apices  of  the  fans  rose  almost 
vertical  chimney-like  openings. 


4  University  of  California  Publications,     [am.  akch.  eth. 

Asceuding  the  chute  above  the  apex  of  the  northwest  fau  bj' 
the  rope  and  ladder  shown  in  Plate  5,  a  point  was  reached, 
forty- one  feet  above  the  earth  floor,  where  a  small  arched  cavity 
communicated  with  an  earth-choked  fissure  leading  toward  the 
surface.  Live  pine  roots  were  protruding  from  the  clay  filling 
the  fissure.  On  the  hillside  above,  a  depression  in  the  limestone, 
filled  with  yellow  earth  and  supporting  a  vigorous  growth  of  brush 
and  one  or  two  young  pine  trees,  may  represent  the  continuation 
of  the  fissure  toward  the  surface. 

Above  the  apex  of  the  southeast  fan  a  vertical  chimnej" 
sub-divides  into  several  openings  too  small  to  follow.  Leading 
off  from  this  chimney,  a  deep  pocket-like  hole  was  found,  con- 
taining a  large  number  of  bones  imbedded  in  a  highly  calcareous 
earthy  matrix.  A  sheet  of  stalagmite  covered  the  surface  of 
both  fans  along  the  western  side  of  the  chamber.  Four  promi- 
nent rock  masses  rose  above  the  even  slope  of  the  floor.  The 
largest  of  these  was  in  the  form  of  an  altar  resting  upon  a  base  of 
crj'stalline  stalagmite.  Above  the  altar,  a  great  stalactite  hung 
from  the  roof  (Pis.  1,  6  and  14).  Two  broad  benches  of  white 
calcite,  rising  above  the  floor,  were  overlapped  by  the  stalagmite 
sheet  (PL  14,  Nos.  10,  11).  A  large  fallen  block,  fringed  with 
pendants  and  partly  imbedded  in  the  surface  stalagmite  and  clay, 
lay  against  one  of  the  benches  (PI.  14,  No.  8) .  A  record  of  Mr. 
Richardson's  visit  was  found  on  this  block,  together  with  the 
names  of  several  other  visitors.  Loose  blocks  of  limestone  were 
scattered  over  the  surface  of  both  slopes,  especially  that  in  the 
southeast  end.  Bat  excrement  had  accumulated  over  a  part  of 
the  floor,  reaching  a  depth  of  a  foot  and  a  half  along  the  east 
wall.  It  was  in  the  stalagmite  floor  of  this  chamber  that  the 
bones  collected  by  Mr.  Richardson  were  found. 

Method  of  Working. 

Work  was  begun  in  the  clay  about  the  middle  of  the  main 
chamber  near  the  margin  of  the  northwest  fan,  and  was  carried 
toward  the  northwest  end.  Later,  the  excavation  of  the  south- 
east fan  was  completed.  The  surfaces  of  the  slopes  were  staked 
out  in  four-foot  squares  and  each  of  these  was  worked  in  ten-inch 
levels,  all  the  specimens  from  each  section  being  labeled  with  the 


o 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair.  —  The  Potter  Greek  Cave.  5 

number  of  the  section  and  the  depth  at  which  they  were  found. 
The  corner  stakes  of  some  of  these  sections  are  shown  in  Plate  6, 
Much  of  the  material  composing  the  southeast  fan  was  firmly 
cemented  with  stalagmite,  requiring  the  use  of  powder  to  loosen 
it,  and  it  was  worked  by  slicing  from  a  vertical  face  instead  of  by 
excavating  individual  squares  horizontally  as  elsewhere  (PI.  6). 
Particular  attention  was  given  to  preventing  specimens  from  a 
higher  level  rolling  down  and  becoming  confused  with  bones 
from  a  greater  depth.  The  loose  earth  was  sorted  with  a  trowel 
and  removed  after  each  shot.  A  somewhat  similar  method  was 
followed  in  blasting  out  the  lower  stalagmite  layers.  The  soft 
clay  beneath  was  removed  and  the  portions  undermined  were 
shot  out.  The  large  blocks  of  cemented  clay  dislodged  by  the 
blasts  were  carefully  broken,  and  the  pieces  were  examined  indi- 
vidually. As  excavation  advanced  the  material  examined  was 
shoveled  back  over  the  worked  area. 

Stratigraphy  of  the  Northwest  Fan. 

The  structure  of  the  fan  in  the  northwest  end  was  found  to 
be  as  follows  in  descending  order: 

A.  Clay  with  gravel  lenses,  greatest  depth  13^  feet. 

B.  Persistent  gravel  stratum,  6  inches  to  1^  feet. 

C.  Volcanic  ash,  0  to  Ij  feet. 

D.  Cla3^  with  fallen  limestone  blocks,  0  to  3  feet. 

E.  Clay  and  gravel  cemented  with  stalagmite  (false  floor), 

6  inches  to  2 J  feet. 

F.  Soft  clay,  maximum  thickness  4  feet. 

G.  Stalagmite   blocks   in  clay   matrix,    greatest  depth  not 

determined. 

H.     Stalagmite  bosses — cave  floor. 

The  clay  of  stratum  A  was  similar  to  the  surface  soil  on  the 
hillside  above  the  cave.  It  was  of  a  dull  yellow  color  approach- 
ing red  when  wet,  and  contained  abundant  angular  fragments  of 
blue  limestone  and  occasional  pieces  of  stalactite  from  the  roof. 
The  layer  of  stalagmite  capping  the  claj'  on  the  west  margin 
rarely  exceeded  a  few  inches  in  thickness,  usually  averaging 
from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch.  It  was  largely  deposited  by  water 
dripping  from  the  pendants  fringing  the  west  wall. 


6  University  of  Calif ornia  Publications,     [am.  arch,  eth 

Within  the  limits  of  stratum  A  were  two  lenticular  sheets  of 
gravel,  which  terminated  abruptly  toward  the  southeast  against 
a  large  boss  of  crystalline  calcite  probably  forming  part  of  the 
original  cave  floor.  (PL  12,  Sec.  7.)  These  gravel  layers  were 
similar  to  the  larger  and  more  persistent  stratum  B.  All  three 
roughly  paralleled  the  surface  of  the  fan,  and  thinned  out  toward 
the  northwest.  They  were  composed  of  angular,  drip- worn 
fragments  of  limestone,  and  seem  to  have  been  formed  by  water 
falling  from  the  roof  and  washing  the  small  limestone  fragments 
from  the  clay.  Along  the  west  wall,  the  gravel  strata  were  in 
some  places  found  to  coincide  with  sheets  of  stalagmite.  This 
would  indicate  that  the  gravel  layers  like  the  stalagmite  were 
formed  during  halts  in  the  accumulation  of  the  cave  deposit. 
The  gravel  layers  were  separated  by  sheets  of  clay  similar  in 
every  respect  to  the  first  clay  stratum  described.  On  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  gravel  all  these  clay  strata  blend.  This  is  shown 
in  the  cross  section  (PL  12) ,  and  accounts  for  the  great  thickness 
of  stratum  A.  It  is  evident  from  the  section  (PL  12,  Sec.  7)  that 
the  lower  layers  of  this  stratum  are  older  than  those  above,  but 
it  was  not  possible  to  separate  them  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
gravel  layers. 

The  ash  layer,  stratum  C,  was  composed  of  fine  particles  of 
volcanic  glass.  It  was  thin-bedded  throughout,  indicating  depo- 
sition in  a  small  pool  of  standing  water.  The  deposit  attained 
a  thickness  of  a  foot  and  a  half  toward  the  center,  thinning  out 
at  the  northwest  and  southeast  margins.  The  purest  samples 
of  the  glass  are  of  a  pale  straw  color,  and  under  the  micro- 
scope appear  as  fine  filaments  with  vitreous  luster.  Between 
crossed  nicols  they  remain  dark  for  all  positions  of  the  field. 
That  a  part  of  the  ash  stratum  lying  toward  the  center  of  the 
deposit  was  a  deeper  ochreous  j^ellow  is  due,  probably,  to  the 
presence  of  limonite  leached  in  from  the  beds  above.  The 
leaching  in  of  lime  and  iron  from  the  overlying  clays  has  not 
affected  the  glass,  which  is  perfectly  fresh. 

The  ash  shows  little  mixture  with  foreign  material,  indicating 
very  perfect  assorting  by  the  winds  which  transported  it  into  the 
cave,  and  rapid  deposition  in  the  pool  which  then  lay  on  the 
cave  floor.     Scattered  through  the  ash  there  are  small  black  or 


UNIV,   CALIF,    PUB,   AM,   ARCH,   &  ETH, 


VOL,   2,    PL.   5, 


Apex  of  the  iiortlnvest  l;ui.      The  vertieul  ehute  rises  above  the  huliler 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Gave.  7 

dark  brown  grains  of  doubtful  nature,  which  may  represent 
decomposed  rock  or  mineral  particles  erupted  with  the  ash. 

The  stratum  lay  in  general  flat,  but  at  the  northwest  margin 
it  had  a  dip  of  about  five  degrees  toward  the  southeast  due  to 
the  deposition  of  the  margin  of  the  sheet  over  the  sloping  surface 
of  the  clay  beneath  it. 

The  source  of  the  ash  is  unknown.  It  was  probably  pro- 
duced by  an  explosive  eruption  of  some  one  of  the  numerous 
volcanic  peaks  to  the  north  or  east.  Apart  from  the  remnant 
preserved  in  the  cave,  no  trace  of  this  ash  has  been  found.  It 
must  have  been  deposited  widely  over  the  surface  of  the  country, 
but  the  thin  layer  of  incoherent  material  was  readily  removed 
during  the  period  of  erosion  which  followed  the  accumulation  of 
the  cave  deposit. 

Stratum  D  was  similar  to  the  clay  composing  the  upper  layers 
of  stratum  A,  from  which  it  could  not  be  separated  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  ash.  It  contained  a  considerable  number  of  lime- 
stone boulders  and  was  more  or  less  hardened  by  stalagmitie 
material. 

Excavation  ceased  during  the  season  of  1902  at  the  so-called 
false  floor,  stratum  E,  a  sheet  of  cave  breccia  too  hard  to  pene- 
trate without  blasting.  The  greater  part  of  the  floor  was  removed 
during  the  past  summer,  when  it  was  found  to  be  composed  of 
layers  of  yellow  clay  with  numerous  limestone  fragments,  the 
whole  cemented  by  stalagmite  into  a  compact  mass. 

Lying  beneath  the  false  floor  was  a  deposit  of  soft  yellow 
clay,  stratum  F,  reaching  at  its  maximum  a  thickness  of  four 
feet.  The  clay  was  not  a  constant  feature  beneath  the  floor, 
disappearing  toward  the  southeast,  where  stratum  E  rested  on 
bosses  of  stalagmite. 

Stratum  G,  lying  beneath  the  clay,  was  composed  of  large 
loose  blocks  of  yellow  calcite  in  a  clay  matrix.  Locally  the  clay 
was  more  or  less  hardened  by  the  infiltration  of  calcareous  mate- 
rial. Filling  what  appeared  to  be  deep  basins  in  the  limestone 
floor,  and  occasionally  occurring  between  the  loose  blocks,  was  a 
soft  chocolate-colored  mud  showing  stratification  planes  and 
evidently  deposited  in  pools  of  water.  The  greatest  depth  of  this 
formation  was  not  determined. 


8  University  of  California  Publications .     [am.  arch.  eth. 

Excavation  ceased  when  great  masses  of  white  stalagmite  were 
encountered.  These  growths  did  not  form  a  sheet,  but  were 
highly  irregular,  rising  as  rounded  bosses  with  deep  depressions 
between.  They  are  prolongations  of  the  inward  slopes  of  the 
cave  walls,  which  are  covered  with  a  similar  accumulation  of 
stalagmite,  and  formed  the  rock  floor  on  which  the  layers  of  clay, 
ash,  and  gravel  were  accumulated. 

Stratigraphy  of  Southeast  Fan. 

The  southeast  fan  was  much  simpler  in  structure,  possessing 
none  of  the  variety  of  stratified  deposits  found  in  the  middle  of 
the  main  chamber.  The  entire  deposit  in  this  end  of  the  cave 
resembled  in  material  and  structure  the  cemented  breccia  layer, 
stratum  E,  of  the  northwest  fan.  It  was  composed  of  sheets  of 
clay  containing  a  large  number  of  rock  fragments  of  all  sizes. 
Clay  and  rock  were  firmly  cemented  by  stalagmite  into  a  hard 
breccia.  Lenses  of  soft  earth  occurred,  irregularly  distributed 
through  the  breccia.  Often  the  deposit  was  quite  soft  along  the 
cave  walls.  The  soft  and  hard  layers  bore  no  definite  relationship 
to  each  other  either  in  stratigraphic  sequence  or  areal  extent,  and 
frequently  passed  abruptly  from  hard  to  soft.  The  rocks  imbedded 
in  the  clay  and  breccia  were  either  angular  masses  of  blue  lime- 
stone or  more  or  less  rounded  calcite  bosses  similar  to  the  altar 
base.  The  calcite  bosses  seemed  to  have  fallen  from  above  rather 
than  to  have  formed  in  place,  as  the  clay  was  often  soft  on  all 
sides  of  them.  In  the  section  (PL  12)  the  entire  deposit  in  this 
end  of  the  cave  has  been  referred  to  stratum  A. 

Wherever  the  rock  floor  was  struck  beneath  the  southeast 
fan,  it  was  found  to  be  similar  to  that  described  for  the  opposite 
end  of  the  cave. 

Buried  Galleries. 

During  the  excavation  of  the  northwest  fan  there  was  discov- 
ered a  series  of  chambers  not  before  visible.  The  opening 
leading  to  these  chambers  (PI.  11,  I;  PI.  13,  Fig.  5,  I)  was  in  the 
west  wall  of  the  main  cave  and  was  buried  beneath  about  eleven 
feet  of  stratified  deposits.  The  principal  gallery  had  a  length  of 
forty-two  feet  extending  parallel  with  the  trend  of  the  main  room 
of  the  cave.      At  its  northwest  end  it  was  prolonged  by  a  low 


rw         9 

i      Si 

^   5 


1-  -2 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  9 

narrow  tunnel,  eleven  feet  in  length.  Joining  the  main  gallery 
on  the  west  was  a  semi-cii*eular  passage,  the  floor  of  which  was 
of  blue  limestone,  but  some  earth  and  a  few  bones  had  found 
their  way  into  it. 

Flooring  the  long  straight  gallery  was  a  mass  of  cave  earth 
derived  from  the  deposit  in  the  large  room.  The  top  of  this  earth 
mass  represented  the  continuation  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  false 
floor  (PI.  11).  From  this  point  the  surface  sloped  downward 
steeply  toward  the  northwest.  The  surface  was  covered  with  a 
creamy  white  stalagmite  varying  in  thickness  from  a  thin  shell 
up  to  three  or  four  inches.  A  small  amount  of  soft  earth  filled 
the  entrance  above  the  level  of  the  false  floor.  Within 
the  entrance  stratum  E  could  no  longer  be  distinguished, 
but  is  probably  represented  in  part  by  the  stalagmite  layer.  The 
earth  deposit  in  this  tunnel  was  soft  above,  but  hardened  into 
breccia  as  the  rock  floor  was  approached.  Extending  at  least 
half  way  down  the  slope,  beneath  the  clay,  was  a  sheet  of  crys- 
talline stalagmite  a  foot  or  more  in  thickness.  This  was  a  pro- 
longation of  the  mass  shown  at  H  in  Section  5,  Plate  13.  Beneath 
the  stalagmite  the  chocolate-colored  mud  was  present  to  a  depth 
of  more  than  three  feet. 

Pocket  Deposits. 

In  the  east  wall  of  the  main  cave  there  is  a  small  tunnel 
opposite  the  altar  and  about  twelve  feet  above  the  floor.  From 
an  entrance  of  irregular  shape  it  runs  downward  for  about  fifteen 
feet.  This  hole  contained  a  small  amount  of  earth  and  a  number 
of  rather  poorly  preserved  bones.  A  much  larger  tunnel  opened 
from  the  chute  at  the  southeast  end  of  the  cave.  This  hole  was 
six  or  seven  feet  in  diameter  and  descended  vertically.  It  also 
contained  earth  and  bones  which  appeared  to  have  found  their 
way  in  through  a  narrow  vertical  opening  extending  toward  the 
surface.  This  bone-bearing  deposit  was  worked  to  a  depth  of 
nine  feet  when  the  increasing  difficulty  of  handling  the  excavated 
material  and  the  want  of  proper  facilities  for  ventilating  the 
narrow  shaft  compelled  a  cessation  of  the  work.  The  earth  in 
both  these  pockets  was  highly  calcareous,  due  to  the  softening 
and  sloughing  off  of  stalagmitic  material  covering  the  walls  of 


10  University  of  California  Publications,  [am.  abch.  eth 

the  cavities  leading  to  them.  At  deeper  levels  the  matrix  invest- 
ing the  bones  contained  more  clay.  The  pockets  received  their 
contents  in  the  same  manner  as  the  main  chamber,  bnt  their 
feeding  conduits  were  smaller  and  became  more  readily  choked 
by  stalagmitic  growths.  Several  other  small  cavities  in  the  main 
cave  and  leading  off  from  the  vestibule  were  explored,  but  noth- 
ing of  value  was  found  in  them. 

Deposits  at  the  Entrance. 

Beneath  the  limestone  arch  at  the  entrance  and  flooring  the 
passage  leading  back  to  the  top  of  the  rope  ladder,  deposits  of 
soft  yellow  ossiferous  earth  were  found.  This  material  had  a 
depth  of  over  five  and  a  half  feet  at  the  entrance,  resting  on  a 
limestone  floor  which  pitched  steeply  toward  the  northwest.  In 
the  gallery  beyond  the  entrance  the  clay  occupied  shallow  basins 
in  the  limestone  floor.  In  one  of  these  basins  bones  and  charcoal 
fragments  were  found  from  six  to  eighteen  inches  beneath  the 
surface. 

Origin  op  the  Cave  Deposit. 

With  the  exception  of  the  stalagmitic  growths  and  fallen 
blocks,  the  entire  cave  deposit  was  brought  in  through  the  ver- 
tical chutes  which  are  situated  above  the  apices  of  the  alluvial 
fans,  and  through  other  openings  which  have  been  more  or  less 
completely  closed  by  the  formation  of  calcite  growths.  These 
openings  still  permit  the  entrance  of  water  after  several  days  of 
heavy  rain. 

Excepting  the  chocolate-colored  mud  and  the  volcanic  ash, 
which  show  every  indication  of  having  been  laid  down  in  shallow, 
water-filled  basins,  the  structure  of  the  main  deposit  is  that  of 
alluvial  fans  over  which  successive  accumulations  arranged 
themselves  with  reference  to  the  surface  slopes,  without  involving 
much  water  as  the  stratifying  agent.  The  gravel  layers,  as 
already  suggested,  represent  halts  in  the  process  of  accumulation, 
during  which  stalagmite  sheets  began  to  form  in  the  most  favor- 
able places  along  the  west  wall.  Otherwise  there  is  nothing  to 
indicate  the  rate  of  accumulation  or  to  mark  the  successive  sur- 
faces of  the  fans. 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair.  —  The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  11 

Surface  soil  was  probably  added  during  each  wet  season, 
while  earthquakes  may  have  detached  some  of  the  larger  fallen 
blocks.  Aeolian  agencies  were  effective  in  transporting  the  fine 
ash  which  must  have  entered  the  cave  through  one  or  more 
openings  of  considerable  size.  Through  some  of  these  dry  clay 
and  loose  rocks  probably  fell  from  time  to  time,  adding  to  the 
growth  of  the  cave  fans. 

Character  and  Mode  of  Introduction  of  Organic  Remains. 

Bones  were  found  in  all  the  strata  explored  excepting  the 
volcanic  ash  and  the  chocolate- colored  mud.  Part  of  the  skull 
of  an  Arctotherium  and  some  remains  of  Ursus  lay  among  the 
loose  rocks  on  the  surface  of  the  southeast  fan.  Additional 
material  was  secured  from  the  stalagmite  on  the  surface  of  the 
slope  in  the  northwest  end. 

The  majority  of  the  specimens  collected  are  dissociated  limb 
bones,  jaws,  teeth,  and  indeterminate  fragments.  Complete 
skeletons  were  not  common.  Associated  parts  of  the  skeletons 
of  a  few  squirrels  and  wood- rats,  a  snake  (Crotalus) ,  and  a  bat 
were  found  in  the  gravel  layers.  In  addition  to  these,  several 
complete  limbs  of  Arctotherium  sirmim,  with  all  the  elements  in 
their  natural  positions,  were  discovered  imbedded  in  soft  clay,  in 
the  main  chamber.  Associated  with  these  were  various  parts  of 
the  skeletons  of  several  individuals  of  this  species. 

In  all  cases  the  bones  have  lost  their  organic  matter  com- 
pletely, adhering  to  the  moistened  fingers  like  kaolin.  Some  of 
them  are  weather  cracked,  indicating  that  they  lay  for  a  time  on 
the  surface.  The  decay  of  bones  in  the  cave  is  exceptional,  but 
has  been  noticed  at  several  places,  where  they  were  found  reduced 
to  a  fine  yellow  powder,  Occasionally  some  of  the  large  limb 
bones  were  found  broken  across,  where  they  had  become  softened 
by  percolating  water  and  were  unable  to  support  the  weight  of 
the  earth  above  them.  Many  of  the  bones  have  been  gnawed 
by  rodents. 

Apart  from  fragments,  over  four  thousand  six  hundred  deter- 
minable specimens  were  collected.  This  material  requires  no 
preparation  except  to  wash  off  the  adhering  clay.  The  bones  are 
usually  white,  but  often  show  yellow  and  faint  blue  discolora- 


12  University  of  California  Publications,    [am.  arch.  eth. 

tions.     Those  from  the  superficial  layers  of  stratum  A  are  often 
blackened. 

It  is  difficult  to  see  how  such  a  variety  of  animal  remains 
could  accumulate  in  the  cave,  as  the  number  of  individuals  of 
the  larger  forms  represented  by  dissociated  parts  is  considerable. 
There  is  little  definite  evidence  indicating  that  Arctotherium  lived 
in  any  of  the  existing  galleries,  and,  as  it  could  not  easily 
have  climed  into  the  chamber  where  its  remains  were  found,  it 
is  possible  that  it  fell  in,  but  not  necessarilj-  by  way  of  the 
present  entrance.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  a  catas- 
trophic event  destroyed  large  numbers  of  animals  in  this  vicinity. 
The  cave  seems  to  have  remained  open  for  a  long  time,  receiving 
bones  swept  in  by  rills  during  wet  weather,  and  the  remains  of 
such  forms  as  accidentally  fell  in.  It  is  possible  that  the  Arcto- 
therium inhabited  a  den  adjoining  the  large  chamber,  and  that 
from  this  bones  found  their  way  into  the  cave.  The  edges  of 
some  of  the  larger  bone  fragments  are  flaked  off  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  suggest  that  they  might  have  been  broken  by  the 
powerful  teeth  of  this  great  carnivore.  No  trace  of  such  a  den 
can  now  be  found,  owing  to  later  erosion  which  dissected  the 
surface  of  the  region. 

Relics  of  Possible  Human  Origin. 

Human  remains  and  implements  were  carefully  sought  during 
the  whole  course  of  excavation  in  the  Potter  Creek  cave.  During 
the  fii'st  season's  exploration  several  polished  bones  were  found 
which  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  rude  implements.  Three 
typical  specimens  are  represented,  natiu'al  size,  on  Plate  7. 
The  largest  of  these.  No.  M3982  (Figs.  1,  la)  is  pointed  at 
both  ends,  with  indications  of  beveling  at  one  extremity.  The 
whole  fragment  is  polished.  The  second  specimen.  No.  M3894 
(Figs.  2  and  2a),  has  the  edges  on  either  side  of  the  point 
beveled  and  polished,  and  shows  a  distinct  notch  in  the  broad 
end.  The  remaining  edges  are  rounded  and  polished.  This 
specimen  was  found  embedded  in  soft  clay  between  eighty  and 
ninetj-  inches  beneath  the  surface.  In  an  adjacent  section  several 
teeth  of   an   extinct    ungulate,  Euceratherium  collinum,*  were 

*See  foot-note  on  p.  18. 


UNIV.   CALIF.    PUB.   AM.   ARCH.   &  ETH. 


VOL   2,    PL.   7. 


Figs.   \-:U(.      liniilciiiciit  like  lioiic  tratrniciits  from  the  I'ottcr  ("reck  (';ivc  (Xatunil  si/,cj, 

Figs.  1,  1«,  Xo.   '  '  ^  -,  See.  20,  i:!(l-14ii  iiiclics  lipiicatli  siirfjicf;  Kit'-s.  'J,  LV(.  No.  ■;  s  \n , 
Sec.  'S.i,  m-'M  inclies  beii(';it)i  sui-t;ii'c:  Vies.  :',.  :\ii .  \i>.  :::':i7,  Sci-.  7,  HO-KHi  iiu-lies  lieiii'Mtli  surfiice. 

Figs.  4,  5.     Boue  iiii|ilciiniits  trom  the  Eincryvilli'  Slull  Moiind  (Xiiturjil  size). 


Vol. 2.]  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  13 

found  at  a  level  six  feet  above  the  implement-like  piece  of  bone 
The  considerable  depth  at  which  the  specimen  was  found  in 
undisturbed  earth  and  the  presence  of  remains  of  an  extinct 
species  above  it,  indicate  that  it  is  not  of  recent  origin.  The 
third  specimen,  No.  M3997  (Figs.  3  and  3rt),  is  sharply  pointed 
at  one  end,  both  surfaces  are  polished  and  the  edges  rounded. 
These  polished  bones  closely  resemble  many  of  the  rough  imple- 
ments from  the  shell  mounds  of  California.  Figures  of  two 
of  these  implements,  reproduced  from  the  plates  accompanying 
the  manuscript  of  Dr.  Max  Uhle's  report  on  the  exploration  of 
the  shell  mound  at  Emeryville,  are  given  on  Plate  7,  Figures 
4  and  5.  Dr.  Uhle  believes  that  these  implements  were  originally 
splinters  accidentally  formed  in  breaking  up  long  bones.  Favor- 
able pieces  were  selected  because  they  had  sharp  points  and 
these  were  polished  in  use.  Often  the  point  has  been  beveled 
by  rubbing  on  one  side. 

To  eliminate  as  far  as  possible  all  question  regarding  the 
nature  and  origin  of  these  polished  bones,  every  fragment 
encountered  during  the  excavation  was  preserved.  These  were 
carefully  examined  in  the  laboratory  for  traces  of  polish  and 
any  indication  of  cutting  or  rubbing  to  form  a  point  or  beveled 
edge.  The  result  has  been  that  a  considerable  number  of  speci- 
mens were  found  showing  all  degrees  of  polish  associated  with 
much  variety  of  form.  Some  of  these  fragments  bear  no  relation 
to  any  known  form  of  implement  and  it  is  not  easy  to  see  how 
they  could  have  been  used.  Many  gradations  exist  between  the 
irregular  polished  fragments  and  the  implement-like  specimens. 
This  suggests  the  idea  that  they  have  all  been  made  in  some  other 
way  than  through  the  agency  of  man,  and  that  the  rough,  imple- 
ment-like form  is  purely  a  chance  occurrence.  It  is  therefore 
important  to  inquire  whether  the  wear  and  polish  could  have  been 
produced  by  natural  means.  In  one  or  two  instances  polished 
fragments  were  found  associated  with  limestone  gravel  in  small 
rock-rimmed  basins,  where  they  had  been  exposed  to  the  action 
of  dripping  water.  The  association  of  polished  bones  with  dri])- 
washed  gravel  suggests  that  some  of  the  worn  bones  found  in 
the  clay  may  have  been  abraded  in  pot  holes  by  this  means,  or  by 
rill  action,  before  they  were  entombed. 


14  University  of  California  Publications.     [ am.  arch.  eth. 

While  the  explanation  just  given  may  readily  apply  to  the 
irregularly- shaped  polished  fragments,  the  beveled  edges  and 
notched  base  of  the  specimen  shown  in  Figure  2  convey  a  very 
strong  impression  of  definite  purpose  controlling  its  fashion- 
ing. On  the  other  hand,  the  writer  does  not  feel  justified  in 
positively  asserting  the  human  origin  of  this  relic,  believing  that 
we  require  stronger  evidence  than  it  has  yet  been  possible  to 
obtain  before  such  a  statement  is  made. 

A  large  part  of  the  material  collected  consists  of  sharp-edged 
bone  splinters.  These  are  found  at  all  depths  in  the  bone-bearing 
deposits,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  cave.  Many  of  the  splinters  occur 
low  down  in  the  deposits  and  are  associated  with  remains  of 
numerous  extinct  animals.  They  resemble  the  fractured  bones 
from  the  shell  mounds  along  the  coast.  We  can  conceive  of 
these  splinters  having  been  formed  in  a  number  of  waj's.  They 
might  have  been  produced  by  large  bone-crushing  carnivores,  but 
well-marked  traces  of  gnawing,  excepting  those  referable  to  ro- 
dents, have  not  been  observed  on  these  fragments.  In  some  cases, 
bones  may  have  been  fractured  by  the  impact  of  their  di'opping 
into  the  cave,  or  by  heavy  stones  crushing  down  upon  them,  but 
these  explanations  can  not  account  for  the  presence  of  the  large 
number  of  sharp-edged  splinters  found,  without  having  some  very 
definite  evidence  in  their  support,  and  this  has  been  obtained  in 
only  a  few  cases.  Fractured  bones  were  found  near  the  entrance 
in  the  upper  gallery,  where  the  distance  from  the  surface  is  small. 
Again,  bones  may  have  been  broken  by  striking  against  the  irreg- 
ular walls  of  the  chutes,  through  which  much  of  the  cave  earth 
entered.  Regarding  this,  it  may  be  said  that  fragile  bones  were 
often  recovered  entire,  while  most  of  the  splinters  were  produced 
from  the  fracture  of  large  limb  bones.  Furthermore,  the  per- 
centage of  abraded  specimens  is  much  smaller  than  would  be  re- 
quired by  this  theory,  as  most  of  the  splinters  still  have  sharp  edges. 

Another  possible  explanation  is  that  they  were  produced  on 
the  surface  of  the  ground  outside  the  cave  by  the  process  of 
weather  cracking.  Only  a  few  could  have  been  formed  in  this 
way,  and  they  would  in  the  majority  of  eases  have  the  edges 
rubbed  down  in  the  process  of  being  carried  into  the  cave. 

Since  other  suggestions  fail  to  explain  the  presence  of  these 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  15 

splinters  satisfactorily,  it  is  not  beyond  the  limits  of  possibility 
to  suppose  that  they  were  made  through  the  agency  of  man .  In  the 
ease  of  the  material  from  the  shell  mounds,  the  bones  were  broken 
to  extract  the  marrow  by  pounding  with  a  heavy  stone,  resulting 
in  the  production  of  splinters  identical  in  character  with  those 
from  the  cave.  A  difficult  point  to  explain  by  this  hypothesis 
is  the  presence  of  these  fragments  in  all  manner  of  inaccessible 
places,  as  in  the  pocket  in  the  east  wall,  where  they  could  not 
have  been  thrown,  and  must  have  been  carried  down  through  nar- 
row rock  channels  now  closed  by  stalagmitic  growths.  Possibly 
they  were  washed  in  from  a  refuse  heap  or  the  accumulation  in  a 
rock  shelter.  The  uncertainty  of  the  evidence  must  be  advanced 
in  this  case  also.  At  the  present  time  no  explanation  of  the 
origin  of  the  fragments  has  been  discovered  which  accords  with 
all  the  observed  facts,  though  the  suggestion  that  they  were  made 
by  man  appears  on  the  evidence  of  occurrence  to  be  open  to  the 
fewest  objections. 

In  the  clay  flooring  the  passage  leading  back  to  the  top  of 
the  swinging  ladder,  a  sharp- edged  stone  chip,  flaked  from  a 
river- worn  pebble,  was  found  associated  with  the  charcoal  men- 
tioned as  occurring  in  the  clay.  A  Margaritana  shell,  several  bone 
fragments,  a  tooth  of  the  large  ungulate,  Euceratherium,,  and 
a  fragment  of  a  mammoth  tooth  were  associated  with  the 
stone  chip.  The  charcoal  did  not  occur  as  a  definite  stratum, 
but  was  scattered  in  small  fragments  through  a  fine  clay 
from  six  inches  to  eighteen  inches  beneath  the  surface  of 
the  floor  of  the  gallery.  It  seems  to  have  accumulated  with 
clays  which  were  carried  in  from  the  surface  by  rain  water 
percolating  through  fissures  in  the  limestone.  It  can  hardly  be 
considered  as  certainly  representing  a  local  hearth  deposit,  though 
such  may  be  the  case.  It  is  also  possible  that  it  is  the  result  of 
Quaternary  forest  fires  and  has  been  washed  into  the  cave. 

A  careful  study  of  the  cave  collection  has  failed  to  indicate 
the  presence  of  human  bones.  Early  man  might  have  been  in 
existence  in  the  region  and  yet  his  remains  have  escaped  preserva- 
tion in  the  cave.  Those  chambers  in  which  the  ossiferous  deposit 
attained  its  maximum  accumulation  may  not  have  been  easily 
accessible  to  man  or  mav  have  been  so  far  from  the  entrance 


16  University  of  California  Publications,     [am.  aech.  eth. 

that  he  would  have  preferred  not  to  visit  them  frequently.  A 
fragment  of  modern  Indian  basket  work  was  found  on  the  surface 
near  the  top  of  the  ladder  seen  in  Plate  3,  indicating  that  the 
entrance  chambers  may  have  been  used  occasionally  in  recent 
years  as  a  place  of  storage.  There  was  nothing  to  indicate  that 
they  had  been  so  used  in  prehistoric  times.  Tt  seems  probable 
that  the  main  chamber  of  the  cave  originally  had  free  com- 
munication with  the  surface,  serving  as  a  pitfall  to  catch  unwary 
mammals.  The  accumulation  of  human  remains  in  such  a  pitfall 
would  be  of  rare  occurrence,  depending  upon  accidents  against 
which  the  superior  intelligence  of  man  would  protect  him. 

The  cave  fauna  is  not  too  old  to  negative  the  idea  of  contem- 
poraneity with  man.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  if  man 
reached  the  North  American  continent  during  the  Quaternary  it 
was  hy  way  of  the  land  bridge  which  then  united  Alaska  with 
Siberia  at  Bering  Strait.  This  land  connection  permitted  the 
migration  of  many  of  the  mammals  now  common  to  the  most 
northern  parts  of  both  continents.*  It  seems  reasonable  to 
expect  that  some  of  the  earliest  traces  of  man  in  North  America 
would  be  found  on  the  Pacific  coast  where  the  climate  was 
congenial  and  food  supply  abundant  while  the  eastern  portion  of 
the  continent  was  submerged  beneath  the  ice  sheet.  Glaciation 
in  California  has  never  been  general,  occurring  only  at  the  higher 
altitudes.  At  its  maximum  the  coast  was  almost  as  well  adapted 
to  human  habitation  as  it  is  to-day. 

The  Cave  Fauna. 

With  the  exception  of  bats,  no  vertebrates  are  living  in  the 
perpetually  darkened  portion  of  the  cave.  A  few  wood-rats  have 
nested  in  some  of  the  holes  in  the  cliff  above  the  entrance. 
Cliff-nesting  birds  (swallows  and  wrens)  occupy  some  of  the 
narrow  ledges  and  smaller  holes.  An  occasional  rattlesnake 
may  be  found  in  the  brush  and  loose  stones  about  the  cave 
mouth.  Several  white  isopods  and  a  number  of  spiders  were 
collected  in  the  main  chamber  of  the  cave.  These  were  submitted 
to  Professor  C.  A.  Kofoid.  The  isopods.  Professor  Kofoid  states, 
are  closely  allied  to  Procellio  scaber,   a  cosmopolitan    species. 

*R.  Lydekker.     "A  Geographical  History  of  Mammals,"  p.  337,  pp.  346-348. 


Vol. 2.]  Sinclair.  —  The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  17 

The  spiders  belong  to  an  undetermined  species  in  which  external 
eyes  are  not  apparent.  They  were  living  on  webs  spread  in 
crevices  in  the  cave  walls  and  on  the  altar  in  the  southeast  end. 
In  addition  to  these,  an  earthworm  and  several  beetle  larvae  were 
found  in  the  damp  earth  on  the  floor.  A  few  specimens  of  a 
large  myriapod  were  noticed,  and  encrusted  fossil  remains  of  an 
allied  form  were  occasionally  found  in  the  breccia  and  gravel 
layers. 

The   following  is  a  revised!  list  of  the   vertebrate    species 
represented  by  remains  collected  in  various  parts  of  the  cave. 
All  extinct  species  are  marked  with  an  asterisk: 
*Arctotherium  simum  Cope. 
*Ursus  n.  sp. 
*FeUs  n.  sp. 
Felis  near  hippolestes  Merriam,  C.H. 
Lynx  fasciatus  Rafinesque. 
Lynx  fasciatiis  n.  subsp.  (?) 
Urocyon  townsendi  Merriam,  C.H. 
Fulpes  cascadensis  Merriam,  C.H. 
*Canis  indianensis  Leidy. 
*Taxidea  n.  sp.  (?) 
Bassariscus  raptor  Baird. 
Mephitis  occidentalis  Baird. 
*Spilogale  n.  sp. 
Putorius  arizonensis  Mearns. 
Aretomys  sp. 

Sciurus  hudsonicics  albolimiatus  Allen. 
Schiropterus  klamathensis  Merriam,  C.H. 
Spermophilns  dmiglasi  Richardson. 
Eutamias  senex  (?)  Allen. 

Callospermo2)hilus  chrysodeirus  Merriam,  C.H. 
Lepus  californicus  Gray. 
Lejnis  klamathensis  Merriam,  C.H. 
Lepus  near  audoboni  Baird. 
Lepics  sp. 
*Teonoma  n.  sp. 
Neotoma  fuscipes  Baird. 
Microtus  californicus  Peale. 
*Tlwmomys  n.  sp. 
Thomomys  leucodon  Merriam,  C.H. 
Thomoviys  monticola  Allen. 
*Aplodontia  major  n.  subsp. 
Scapanus  californicus  (?)  Ayres. 
Antrozous  palUdus  pacijicus  Merriam,  C.H. 

tProvisional  list  in  Science,  N.S.,  Vol.  XVII.,  No.  4:i5,  pp.  708-712,  May  1,  190:{. 
•Extinct. 

Am.  Akc'H.  Eth.  2,  2. 


18  University  of  California  Puhlications.     [am.  arch.  eth. 

*PJatygonus  (?)  sp. 

Odocoileus  sp.  a. 

Odocoileus  sp.  b. 

Haplocerus  montanus  Ord. 
* Euceratherhim  collinum  n.  gen.  and  sp.t 
*  Bison  sp. 
*Camelid 

*Megalomjx  wheatleyi  (?)  Cope. 
*MegaJonyx  jeffersonii  (?)  Harlan. 
*Megalonyx  n.  sp. 
*MegaIonyx  sp. 
*Mastodon  americanus  Kerr. 
*Elephas  primigenius  Blumb. 
*Equus  occidentalis  Leidy. 
*Equus  pacificus  Leidy. 

Crotahts  sp. 

Mylopharodon  conocephalus  Baird  and  Gerard. 

Ptychocheihis  (?)  grandis  {^)  (Ayres). 

Acipenser  medirostris  (?)  Ayres. 

In  addition  to  the  species  listed,  there  should  be  mentioned 
a  large  number  of  birds  which  have  not  been  determined,  and 

*  Extinct. 

tThis  form  is  being  investigated  jointly  by  Mr.  E.  L.  Furlong  and  the  writer. 
The  following  preliminary  description  is  abstracted  from  their  manuscript: 

Eucerathei-inm  coUinum  n.  gen.  and  sp. 

Type.  — 'Ho.  M8751  Univ.  of  Cal.  Palaeontological  Museum.  A  cranium  without 
mandible  discovered  by  Mr.  E.  L.  Furlong  in  the  Samwel  cave,  Shasta  Co.,  Calif. 

Generic  Characters. — Horn-cores  solid,  situated  far  behind  orbit,  close  together 
on  posterior  extremity  of  frontal.  Frontal  reaching  occiput,  with  large  pneumatic  cav- 
ities extending  into  bases  of  horn-cores.  Parietal  confined  to  occiput,  forming  no  part- 
of  cranial  roof.  Lachrymal  pit  broad  and  shallow.  Dental  formula  0,  0,  3,  3. 
Teeth  hypsodont,  large,  without  cement  or  accessory  cuspules. 

Specific  Characters .  — Horn-cores  laterally  compressed  and  curved,  elliptical  in 
cross  section  at  base,  circular  at  tip.  Proximal  half  directed  upward  and  backward, 
distal  half  outward  and  forward.  Frontals  broadly  convex  above  orbits,  slightly 
inflated  toward  bases  of  horn-cores.  Occiput  with  sharp  median  keel  above  foramen 
magnum.     Size  almost  equal  to  that  of  Bos. 

Systematic  Positioyi  and  Relationships. — The  new  genus  is  a  member  of  the 
cavicom  division  of  Artiodactyla.  It  combines  characters  of  several  groups.  From 
the  Bovinae  it  is  separated  by  the  lack  of  cement  and  absence  of  accessory  cuspules 
on  the  teeth.  It  differs  from  the  goats  in  possessing  a  lachrymal  depression.  The 
shape  and  position  of  the  hom-eores,  and  the  large  size  of  the  animal  separate  it 
from  Ovis.  It  is  larger  than  anj'  of  the  so-called  goat-antelopes  of  North 
America,  and  differs  from  them  in  the  presence  of  a  lachrymal  depression,  the 
conformation  of  the  parietal  zone,  and  the  shape  and  position  of  the  horn-cores.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  resembles  the  Bovinae  in  size,  in  the  posterior  position  of  the 
horn-cores,  and  in  the  relations  of  the  frontal  and  parietal,  but  differs  from  that 
group  in  the  possession  of  a  lachrymal  pit,  and  in  dental  structure.  The  teeth 
approximate  in  size  and  structure  those  of  Ovihos,  but  there  are  marked  cranial 
differences  which  separate  Euceratherium  from  that  genus.  E.  L.  Furlong  and 
Wii.  J.  Sinclair. 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  19 

a  tortoise.  Shells  of  the  helicoid  mollusc  Epiphragmophora 
mormonum  were  common,  as  were  also  remains  of  a  fresh- water 
mussel  allied  to  Margaritana  falcata  living  in  the  McCloud  river. 
The  fresh-water  molluscs  and  the  fishes  are  believed  to  have 
been  transported  by  birds. 

Of  the  fifty-two  species  listed,  twenty-one  are  extinct  and  two 
or  three  in  addition  doubtfully  so.*  All  the  large  ungulates  and 
carnivores  are  extinct,  while  of  the  surviving  forms  the  rodents 
comprise  the  major  portion.  Associated  with  mountain  and 
forest  types  like  Haplocerus  and  the  deer  are  plains  species,  the 
horses,  camel,  bison  and  elephant.  The  fauna  listed  is  a  unit. 
No  distinction  is  to  be  drawn  between  the  collections  from  the 
different  layers.  Several  living  forms  which  were  not  known  to 
date  back  beyond  the  recent  epoch  have  been  found.  Among 
these  may  be  mentioned  the  Aplodontidae,  the  so-called  Rocky 
Mountain  goat,  if a^Zoc(?rws,  and  the  rattlesnake,  Crotalus.  With 
the  exception  of  a  single  individual  from  Mercer's  cave,  Calaveras 
County,  ground  sloths  of  the  genus  Megalonyx  have  been  found 
for  the  first  time  in  this  state,  while  Mylodon,  a  contemporary 
of  Megalonyx  in  California,  is  not  represented.  The  types  pres- 
ent, as  well  as  the  proportion  of  living  to  extinct  species,  indi- 
cate that  we  are  dealing  with  an  assemblage  of  forms  of  later 
Quaternary  age. 

The  Contemporary  Fauna. 

The  San  Pahlo  Bay  Quaternary . — On  the  east  shore  of  San 
Pablo  Bay,  north  of  Pinole,  there  are  marine  beds  resting  on  the 
upturned  edges  of  the  San  Pablo.  One  stratum  is  composed 
largely  of  oyster  shells.  Dr.  Ralph  Arnold  has  collected  from 
these  beds  Ostrea  lurida,  Ostrea  conchaphila,  Mytilua  edulis,  and 
Tagelus  calif ornicus .  On  the  basis  of  the  character  of  the  strata 
and  their  fauna.  Dr.  Arnold  has  correlated  these  beds  with  the 
Upper  San  Pedro  series. t 

Above  the  shell  beds  are  alluvial  deposits  of  sand,  clay  and 
gravel  which  have  afforded  bones  of  various  extinct  mammals. 
Remains  of  Elephas  have  been  found  in  the  shell  stratum  beneath 

*A  doubtful  sub-species  of  Lynx  fasciatus,  a  Lepus  and  a  species  of  Odocoileus 
may  be  extinct. 

t Memoirs  Cal.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.     Vol.  Ill,  p.  49. 


20  University  of  California  Publications,     [am.  arch.  eth. 

the  alluvium.  Including  this  specimen  with  the  species  from  the 
alluvial  deposits,  the  list  of  vertebrates  from  this  locality  is  as 
follows : 

Large  carnivore  genus  and  sp.  indet. 

Camelid. 

Morotherium  gigas  Marsh.* 

Bison  antiquus  Leidy. 

Elephas  primigenius  Blumb. 

Mastodon  americanus  Kerr. 

Equus  pacificus  Leidy. 

Equus  sp.t 

This  is  a  plains  fauna,  and  a  comparison  of  it  with  the  cave 
fauna  should  be  confined  to  the  plains  species  from  the  latter,  as 
the  bay  region  during  the  accumulation  of  these  alluvial  deposits 
was  probably  not  adapted  to  forest  types.  With  this  limitation 
in  mind,  the  two  faunas  are  seen  to  be  practically  the  same. 
From  the  sequence  of  Quaternary  geological  events  which 
Professor  Lawson  has  worked  out  for  the  baj^  region,  the  beds  at 
Pinole  are  known  to  belong  probably  to  the  last  quarter  of  that 
period.  +  This  evidence  combined  with  that  derived  from  a  study 
of  the  mammalian  fauna  indicates  with  considerable  certainty 
that  they  are  of  the  same  age  as  the  cave  deposit. 

The  Fauna  of  the  Silver  LaJce  Beds  of  Oregon. — In  order  to 
fix  the  age  of  the  cave  deposit  as  definitely  as  possible,  compar- 
ison may  be  made  with  the  fossiliferous  deposits  at  Silver  Lake 
in  Southern  Oregon.  The  age  of  these  beds  is  determined  by  the 
relation  of  their  mammalian  fauna  to  the  faunas  characterizing 
an  extensive  series  of  Miocene,  Pliocene  and  Quaternary  deposits 
in  the  John  Day  region.  The  following  list  of  species  from  this 
locality  is  compiled  from  lists  furnished  in  the  manuscript  of  a 
paper  on  the  "Fauna  of  Silver  Lake"  by  Dr.  Alice  Robertson 
and  from  a  paper  entitled  "List  of  the  Pleistocene  Fauna  from 
Hay  Springs,  Nebraska"  by  Dr.  W.  D.  Matthew. § 

Ursus  sp.  indet. 
Felis  sp.  indet. 

*From  Tomales  Bay  and  Bull's  Head  Point,  Contra  Costa  County.  Quaternary, 
same  beds  as  those  at  Pinole.    Merriam,  J.  C,  Bull.  G.  S.  A.    Vol.  XI,  pp.  612-614. 

t  Smaller  than  U.  pacificus,  but  with  more  complex  tooth  pattern  than  £. 
occidentalis. 

X  Communicated. 
§Bull.  Am.  Mus.     Vol.  XVI,  pp.  317-322. 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair.  —  The  Potter  Creek  Gave.  21 

Canis  latrans  Say. 

Canis  cf.  occidentalis,  Richardson. 

Vulpes  cf.  pennsylvanicus,  Rhoads. 

Lutra  canadensis  Schreber. 

Fiber  zihethicus  Linnaeus. 

Arvicola  sp.  div. 

Thomomys  sp. 

Geomys  sp. 

Castor  sp. 

Castoroides  sp. 

Lepus  sp.  (cf.  campestris  Bachman). 

Mylodon  sodalis  Cope  (?  M.  harlani  Owen), 

Equus  pacificus  Leidy, 

Equus  n.  sp.* 

Elephas  primigenius?  columbi  Falconer. 

Platygonus,  cf .  vettis  Leidy. 

Platygonus  sp.  minor. 

Eschatius  conidens  Cope. 

Cameloj)s  kansanus  Leidy. 

Camelops  vitakerianus  Cope. 

Camelopsl  sp.  max. 

Antilocapra. 

Regarding  this  association  of  species  Dr.  Matthew  writes  :t 
"This  is  equally  a  plains  fauna,  with  two  aquatic  mammals, 
Castor  and  Lutra,  not  found  at  Hay  Springs.  Otherwise  the 
list  is  very  similar  to  that  at  Hay  Springs,  and,  like  it,  is 
characterized  by  the  absence  of  the  forest  types  found  in  the 
Pleistocene  cave  deposits,  river  gravels,  and  peat  bogs  of  the 
East." 

The  list  contains  several  species  not  found  in  the  cave,  among 
which  may  be  mentioned  Lutra,  Fiber,  Geomys,  Castor,  Castor- 
oides, Antilocapra  and  the  coyote.  Horse,  camel  and  elephant 
bones  make  up  the  greater  part  of  the  Silver  Lake  collections, 
while  the  remaining  forms  are  represented  by  fewer  individuals, 
in  some  cases  by  one  or  two  specimens  only.  In  the  cave  mate- 
rial, there  are  scores  of  specimens  of  Arctotherium,  Ursus,  deer, 
Euceratherium  and  various  rodents,  while  of  such  plains  types  as 
Elephas,  Equus  and  the  camels  a  few  fragmentary  teeth  were 
found.  Megalonyz,  which  in  California  seems  to  have  preferred 
the  foot-hill  region  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Klamath  Moun- 

*  Podial   elements   of  an   equine  very  much  smaller  than  E.  pacificus.    The 
remains  are  regarded  by  Dr.  Robertson  as  those  of  an  adult  individual, 
tloc.  cit.,  p,  321. 


22  University  of  California  Publications,  [am.  arch.  eth. 

tains  is  replaced  in  the  Oregon  plains  fauna  by  the  contemporary 
Mylodon. 

The  Silver  Lake  fauna  is  Quaternary  and  is  probably  of  about 
the  same  age  as  the  cave  deposit,  as  the  proportion  of  living  to 
extinct  species  is  practically  the  same.  Eqmis  pacificus  and 
Elephas  primigenius  are  common  to  the  cave,  the  beds  at  Pinole 
and  the  Silver  Lake  locality.  Several  additional  genera  are  com- 
mon to  the  Silver  Lake  beds  and  the  cave,  but  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  species,  mostly  living  forms,  represented  in  the  Oregon 
fauna  which  have  not  been  found  in  the  cave.  Some  of  these 
differences  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  topographic  dissimilaritj'^ 
of  the  two  regions  and  their  separation  by  considerable  mountain- 
ous areas. 

Relation  of  the  Cave  to  the  Existing  Topography. 

The  spur  on  which  the  cave  lies  (Pis.  8  and  9)  is  one  of 
several  westerly  and  southwesterly  trending  ridges  carved  out  of 
the  Baird  formation  and  the  McCloud  limestone,  by  short  streams 
emptying  into  the  McCloud  River.  The  ridges  form  divides 
between  canons  with  steep  slopes.  Where  they  are  not  controlled 
by  the  limestone  outcrop,  they  rise  gradually  from  the  1500-foot 
contour  toward  Horse  Mountain  (4040  ft.).  Below  the  1500- 
foot  line,  the  slopes  fall  off  rather  abruptly  toward  the  river.  The 
surface  from  the  cave  to  the  mouth  of  Potter  Creek  has  a  fall 
of  800  feet  in  about  one  and  one  eighth  miles. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  river,  back  of  Baird,  the  topography 
is  less  rugged.  The  break  below  the  1500-foot  contour  is  also 
better  marked  (PL  10).  The  stream  canons  are  fairly  deep 
where  they  cut  through  the  Baird  shales,  but  broaden  out  at 
their  head  waters  on  Johns  Creek  and  Turntable  Creek. 

The  creeks  coming  in  from  both  sides  reach  the  McCloud  at 
the  low  water  level  of  that  stream,  but  this  grade  does  not  extend 
far  up  the  tributaries,  which  have  a  fairly  steep  slope  and  are 
still  cutting  vigorously. 

On  both  sides  of  the  river  water-worn  pebbles  are  abundant 
up  to  a  level  of  1500  feet  above  sea.  These  are  found  on  the 
crests  of  divides  between  streams,  on  canon  slopes  and  on  isolated 
summits. 


1 1 

Eh  a, 

o  "^ 

i  1 

3  rS 

p  s- 


VOL.2.]  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Cave.  23 

Relation  of  the  Cave  to  the  Quaternary  Topography, 

The  1500-foot  contour  marks  approximately  the  present  ele- 
vation of  an  earlier  valley  stage  beneath  which  the  existing  canons 
are  trenched.  This  topographic  feature  is  not  particularly  well 
developed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  cave,  owing  to  the  excessive 
amount  of  stream  dissection  which  the  region  has  suffered.  Mr. 
J.  S.  Diller  has  informed  the  writer  that  it  is  well  shown  in  the 
vicinity  of  Kennett.  It  is  also  developed  to  the  east  and  north- 
east of  Bear  Mountain,  and  may  be  viewed  to  advantage  from 
the  high  ridge  on  the  south  side  of  Potter  Creek.  In  Plate  10 
the  trace  of  this  earlier  valley  surface  is  shown  on  the  summit 
of  the  flat-topped  hill  in  the  background.  River- worn  gi-avel  was 
found  on  the  top  of  this  hill  and  also  strews  the  slopes  to  the 
back  of  the  terrace  shown  in  the  middle  ground. 

At  the  time  when  the  cave  deposit  was  accumulating  the 
McCloud  River  flowed  at  a  level  not  much  lower  than  the  bottom 
of  the  cave,  or  not  far  below  the  1500-foot  contour.  This  level 
was  maintained  not  only  during  the  time  of  accumulation,  but 
during  the  much  longer  preceding  interval  required  for  the 
removal  by  solution  and  otherwise  of  a  mass  of  limestone  equal 
in  volume  to  the  cave.  This  could  not  have  been  accomplished 
with  the  river  at  a  higher  level,  as  in  that  case  there  would  be  no 
exit  for  the  underground  water,  which  would  tend  to  stand  in 
the  country  rock  under  pressure  rather  than  to  assume  a  single 
direction  of  flow  along  the  fissure  line  controlling  the  trend  of 
the  cave.  The  shape  of  the  cave,  wide  above  and  narrowing 
downward,  shows  that  the  point  of  discharge  for  the  percolating 
waters  must  have  been  at  a  level  lower  than  the  present 
entrance. 

As  the  tributary  streams  extended  back  by  headwater  erosion, 
the  country  on  either  side  of  the  cave  was  better  drained.  Less 
rain  water  circulated  along  the  fissure  and  cave  cutting  ceased, 
because,  instead  of  draining  into  the  cave  by  a  sink,  the  water 
flowed  into  the  creeks.  At  this  stage  the  large  calcite  bosses  on 
the  floor  were  formed.  Later,  openings  in  the  roof,  probably 
formed  by  rills  washing  off  some  of  the  surface  material  on  the 
slopes  of  the  incipient  canons  of  Potter  and  Marble  Creeks,  per- 


24  University  of  California  Publications,     [am.  arch.  eth. 

mitted  the  entrance  of  clay,  rock  fragments,  broken  bones,  and 
possibly  living  animals. 

The  mingling  of  plains  and  forest  types  in  the  Quaternary 
fauna  is  in  accordance  with  the  known  moderate  relief  of  the 
region,  which  was  a  broad  valley  with  wooded  hills  on  either 
side,  above  which  rose  higher  peaks  like  Horse  Mountain, 
affording  a  congenial  habitat  to  mountain  dwelling  forms  like 
Haplocerus,  while  the  valley  land  was  favorable  to  the  presence 
of  camels  and  horses. 

An  eruption  from  one  of  the  volcanic  peaks  to  the  north  or 
east  showered,  the  region  with  fine  ash  during  this  stage  of 
topographic  development,  but  this  was  a  mere  episode,  scarcely 
an  interruption,  which  did  not  alter  the  character  of  the  fauna 
in  the  least. 

This  cycle  of  low  relief  was  terminated  by  an  uplift,  increas- 
ing the  grade  of  the  master  stream,  initiating  the  cutting  of  the 
present  McCloud  canon,  and  renewing  headwater  erosion  in  the 
lateral  tributaries.  Eventually  one  of  these.  Potter  Creek,  cut 
down  through  one  of  the  galleries  of  the  cave,  opening  the 
present  entrance. 

With  the  stripping  off  of  the  surface  soil  from  the  ridge  sides 
by  the  deepening  creeks,  no  more  clay  could  enter  the  cave. 
The  entrance  channels  were  blocked  by  rocks  or  crystalline 
growths  and  the  cave  began  to  seal  up  its  treasures  by  the  forma- 
tion of  a  stalagmite  sheet,  marking  the  last  halt  in  the  process  of 
accumulation. 

At  first  the  caiion  cutting  was  rapid,  but  later  the  river 
reached  a  lower  grade  and  began  to  meander.  A  terrace  about 
240  feet  above  the  present  low  water  stage  marks  the  position  of 
the  first  halt.  This  terrace  is  shown  on  Plate  2.  It  is  rock-cut 
with  a  thin  coating  of  gravel  on  the  surface.  The  stream  gravels 
scattered  on  the  canon  slopes  above  this  level  were  left  stranded 
by  the  McCloud  as  it  cut  down  from  the  old  1500-foot  base-level. 

A  second  uplift,  possibly  of  a  differential  character,  renewed 
the  downward  cutting  of  the  river.  A  second  terrace,  also  rock- 
cut  but  of  much  greater  extent  than  the  first,  was  formed  about 
150  to  160  feet  above  the  river  at  Baird  (PL  10).  The  surface 
of  this  terrace  is  strewn  with  river  gravel.     A  lower  and  much 


•3^      i 


-    .2 


Vol.  2.]  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Greek  Cave.  25 

smaller  terrace  occurs  at  about  ninety  feet,  and  other  less  distinct 
levels  may  be  traced  to  perhaps  fifty  feet  above  the  river.* 

Taking  into  consideration  the  amount  of  canon  cutting 
accomplished  by  the  McCloud  above  the  240-foot  terrace  and 
comparing  it  with  a  similar  degree  of  cutting  above  a  certain 
terrace  level  in  the  canon  of  the  Sacramento,  it  seems  reasonable 
to  correlate  the  high  terrace  at  Baird  with  the  broad  terrace 
which  is  so  well  developed  in  the  upper  end  of  the  Sacramento 
Valley  in  the  vicinity  of  Redding.  Regarding  the  age  of  this 
terrace  Mr.  Oscar  Hersheyt  says: 

"The  Red  Bluff  formation  belongs  to  the  last  one-fourth  of 
the  Quaternary  era.  On  the  northern  border  of  the  Sacramento 
Valley,  in  Shasta  County,  there  are  flats  one  to  two  miles  wide, 
consisting  of  the  Red  Bluff  gravel  resting  on  the  truncated  edges 
of  the  highly  inclined  metamorphic  formations.  They  are  ele- 
vated one  hundred  to  two  hundred  feet  above  the  present  streams, 
as  Clear  Creek  and  the  Sacramento  River,  which  have  trenched 
narrow  canons  below  them.  The  Red  Bluff  terrace  can  be  traced 
for  several  miles  up  into  the  mountain  valleys  of  such  main 
streams  as  those  mentioned  above,  and  it  is  thus  made  evident 
that  at  the  very  least  three- fourths  of  the  erosion  of  the  Sierran 
valleys  had  been  accomplished  by  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the 
Red  Bluff  epoch." 

The  amount  of  erosion  in  the  McCloud  canon  above  the 
upper  terrace  agi'ees  favorably  with  Mr.  Hershey's  estimate,  and 
strengthens  the  correlation  of  the  high  river  terrace  at  Baird 
with  the  top  portion  of  the  Red  Bluff  formation,  spread  out  over 
the  surface  of  the  Red  Bluff  terrace  in  the  north  end  of  the 
Sacramento  Valley.  About  one-quarter  of  the  entire  interval  of 
canon-cutting  is  represented  by  the  amount  of  erosion  accom- 
plished by  the  McCloud  below  the  240- foot  terrace  level. 

The  sequence  of  events  which  has  been  made  out  in  the  canon 
of  the  McCloud  agrees  very  closely  with  Professor  Lawson's 

*The  terrace  levels  given  in  the  writer's  preliminary  paper  (Science  N.  S., 
Vol.  XVII,  No.  4.35,  pp.  708-712)  were  based  on  roughly  made  observations  and  are 
not  exact.  The  elevations  given  here  were  determined  by  hand  level,  distance  from 
the  ground  to  the  eye  of  the  observer  being  taken  as  a  measuring  rod.  The  meas- 
urements of  the  higher  terraces  were  made  twice,  giving  in  each  case  approximately 
the  same  result. 

tBulI.  Dept.  Geol.  Univ.  of  Cal.,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  1,  p.  12. 


26  University  of  California  Piihlications .     [am.  abch.  eth. 

presentation  of  Quaternary  history  as  recorded  in  the  upper  Kern 
basin,*  but  the  canon  of  the  McCloud  is  not  as  deep  as  that  of 
the  Kern,  owing  to  a  lesser  degree  of  elevation  occasioning  the 
canon  cutting.  Professor  Lawson's  high  valley  zone  corresponds 
with  the  earlier  valley  stage  which  has  been  recognized  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  cave,  beneath  which  the  canon  of  the  McCloud  is 
trenched.  The  trenching  of  the  canon  occupied  an  exceedingly 
short  time  compared  with  the  much  longer  interval  required  for 
the  development  of  the  old  valley  surface.  The  cave  fauna 
occupied  the  latter  during  its  completed  stage,  but  was  not 
necessarily  in  existence  in  the  region  while  this  topographic 
feature  was  being  evolved. 

The  material  excavated  by  the  McCloud  while  cutting  down 
to  the  upper  terrace  level  forms  a  part  of  the  great  debris  fan 
buried  in  the  upper  end  of  the  Sacramento  Valley  beneath  the 
Red  Bluff  terrace. 

Older  base  levels  of  erosion  have  not  been  recognized  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  cave  owing  to  the  excessive  amount  of  dissection 
which  the  region  has  suffered,  but  a  series  of  Tertiary  peneplains 
in  the  Klamath  Mountains  has  been  described  by  Mr.  Diller.t 

The  cave  fauna  described  in  the  preceding  pages  is  much 
older  than  the  glacial  period  in  this  state.  The  maximum  glacia- 
tion  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  has  been  referred  to  the  Wisconsin 
epoch  of  the  glacial  time  scale  worked  out  for  the  eastern  part  of 
the  continent.!  The  Red  Bluff  epoch  which  has  been  correlated 
with  the  upper  river  terrace  at  Baird,  although  referable  to  the 
last  quarter  of  the  Quaternary,  is  older  than  the  Californian 
glaciation,  from  which  Hershey  has  separated  it  by  two  epochs 
of  erosion  and  one  of  deposition. § 

The  Fauna  in  Its  Relation  to  Topographic  Changes. 

The  change  from  a  country  of  moderate  relief  to  a  moun- 
tainous district  dissected  by  river  canons  reacted  on  the  fauna, 


*  Bulletin  Dept.  Geol.  Univ.  of  Cal.,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  15,  pp.  362-368. 

f'Topographic  Development  of  the  Klamath  Mountains."  Bui.  196,  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 

to.  H.  Hershey.  Bull.  Dept.  Geol.  Univ.  of  Cal.,  Vol.  3,  No.  1,  p.  27.  H.  W. 
Turner.     Proc.  Cal.  Acad.  Sci.,  3rd  series,  Vol.  1,  No.  9,  p.  270. 

§  O.  H.  Herf9hey.     Bull.  Dep.  Geol.  Univ.  of  Cal.  Vol.  3,  No.  1,  p.  28 


Vol.  2.  Sinclair. — The  Potter  Creek  Gave.  27 

causing  migration  and  extinction.  Those  species  which  still 
exist  in  the  region  are  the  successful  survivors,  which  were  able 
to  adapt  themselves  to  the  changed  conditions.  Some  of  the 
species  which  are  now  extinct  may  have  continued  to  inhabit 
the  region  for  a  considerable  time  after  the  topographic 
revolution,  but  this  can  not  be  determined  until  bone-bearing 
Quaternary  deposits  of  later  age  have  been  found.  Higher  up 
the  McCloud,  Mr.  Furlong  has  discovered  a  cave  fauna  which  is 
supposed  to  be  younger  than  that  described  here.  The  study  of 
this  fauna  will,  it  is  believed,  throw  much  light  on  the  problem 
of  faunal  migration.  The  thorough  examination  of  a  series  of 
caves  ranging  in  age  from  early  Quaternary  to  Recent  will 
doubtless  furnish  valuable  evidence  relating  to  the  faunal  migra- 
tions, and  should  also  give  most  important  testimony  concerning 
the  time  when  man  first  came  to  inhabit  this  region. 

University  of  California, 
April,  1904. 


Explanation  of  Plate  11. 

Longitudinal  section  of  the  buried  gallery,   showing  the  relation  of  its 
deposits  to  the  beds  in  the  main  chamber  of  the  cave. 


o 


UNIV.  CALIF.  PUB.  AM.  ARCH.  4  ETH 


VOL.  2,   PL.   13, 


j.  ^ 


A 


ttsSsgafesA^:^ 


I-'iK**-   1-0.— Cross  sei-tioiifi  of  tlu-  cnve  ilt-iionil  uorrettjioniliiiy  to  siniil 
bered  section  liueB  sliorni  on  Plates  12  and  14.     In  enpli,  thf  eiiat  wi 
on  tbu  right  hnnd  Bide. 
Horizontal  and  vertical  scale  the  nmne, 
A.  D  imd  F— Clay,  soft  or  ci'meiili-d.         I— Kntnmce  to  buried  gallei 
li— Limestone  gravel. 
<'— Volcanic  a*h. 

K— Comentdd  breccia.  «• 

G — Brown  mud  with  stalagmite  blocks.       9— Alti 
H— Stalagmite  bOBBsa,  eave  floor.  11— Re 


— Surfiici.'  stftlngmite. 
—Line  of  intersection  of  longitudinal 
section  (Sep.  7,  PL  12). 


^ 

^ 

>C2^:>^^ 

A 

^^^ 

-Om'""'- 

^^ 

'/^^ 

< 

/^^^^\ 

■"-C//"^'^' 

7<^ 

;^ 

^ 

.    ARCH.   &   ETH, 


The  position  of  the  en 
1-7 — Lines  of  s 
8— Fallen  block  reating  i 


to  an  arbitrnry  datum  plane,  below  which  depreesion  ooutourt^ 
1.  The  boundaries  of  rock  mnsses,  the  cave  walls  aud  the  liij 
I  small  grotto  at  the  extreme  northwest  end  is  not  shown  o 
buried  galleries  is  represented  by  broken  lines. 
Pis.  12  and  13.  9— Altar. 

olay.  10,  11— Stiilagmite-eovered  r.iek  liL-nt-h 

Stalitfrruite  boss  resting  on  ofisifevoiis  cliiy. 


,   CALIF.    PUB.   AM,   ARCH.   &  ETH.  VOL   2,    PL    12. 


A,  D  mid  F— Cliiy,  soft  o 
B— Limestone  gravel. 
('—Volcanic  ash. 
E- -Cemented  breccia. 


G— Urown  mud,  cemented  clay  and  !?{talri^ruite        9 — Altur. 


H — Stalagmite  bosses  forming  the  cave  flo 
S — Surface  stalagmite. 
1-6— Lines  of  cross  sections,  see  PH.  Vi  and 
8— Fallen  block. 


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